Feb

Is Karaoke Bad for a Singing Voice?

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At one point in most people’s lives, they’ll be forced to get up at an event and sing karaoke.

For some people this is an incredibly enjoyable activity—usually for the people who either don’t care what others think or have an awesome singing voice (that’s where singing lessons come in). For other, karaoke is a terrifying experience and they would prefer to sit on the sidelines and watch (click for some performance tips). The main question people will ask about karaoke is, “how was my singing?”, most people don’t even think to ask if karaoke is bad for them?

Here are some ways to be sure karaoke does not damage your singing voice.

1. Warm up! A professional singer would never go to a gig, let alone practice, without warming up first. Performers must practice before singing or serious damage can occur to their vocal cords. If you aren’t able to warm up at the club, take a few minutes before leaving for the night and warm up your singing voice. A quick pre-outing warm up would be working on breathing techniques and then singing through some scales.

2. Keep hydrated! Drink plenty of water the day of your karaoke outing as well as at the event. Water is the best way to keep yourself hydrated and your vocal cords need the liquid to keep lubricated in order to sing. It’s fine to drink alcohol during a karaoke event, but make sure to keep a glass of water near by (remember alcohol dehydrates you).

3. Rest! Take a break between songs and listen to the other performers. Resist the urge to hoot and holler at the other performers. Yelling and even talking after a performance is not advised, as your voice needs a rest.

For more karaoke or singing tips, call Lesson Match to speak with a vocal instructor.

Jan

Practice Without Picking Up An Instrument

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Learn how to practice your instrument when you don’t have it with you! Learning an instrument and becoming a musician is as much mental as it is physical (if not more).

That means you can “practice your instrument” wherever you are.

Concepts and Techniques. In music, there are many concepts and techniques that need to be memorized, and this is possible to master without using your instrument.
•   Ear training
•   Rhythm
•   Harmony

Visualize. Whenever you’re bored or have some downtime (and you don’t have your instrument), mentally visualize your instrument and play it. Try to visualize your fingers actually pushing down the notes or plucking the guitar strings. This may sound silly, but it can be an effective technique if you’re serious about it.

Remembering to Practice. Remembering to mentally practice can be difficult, especially at first. Try to pick something you do often throughout the day (taking a drink of water, doing a specific task etc.) and use that to remind yourself to practice. If you pick one simple thing to practice (humming a note, visualizing a chord etc.) every time you hang up your phone for a week, eventually you’ll have mastered it.

Listen. Music surrounds us in our daily lives; it’s everywhere from grocery stores to elevators. Listen to the music playing and study it. Try to listen for a concept you’ve been working on or find the harmony. This will fine tune your musical ear and enhance your playing.

These simple tips get rid of any excuses you might have about how you’re too busy to practice.

Jan

Common Mistakes Piano Students Make When Practicing

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There’s a reason many piano students quit before learning the basics of piano; they become bored and uninterested.

Here are a few common mistakes piano students make when practicing.

1. Not actually practicing. This is a common mistake because practicing the piano may not seem high on your or your children’s lists of things to do. If your kids are also involved in sports practices, school clubs and have homework, practicing the piano may not seem feasible. It may be a struggle to find time for your kids to practice at first, but once they begin to really enjoy playing, they will make time to practice.

2. Practicing what you already know. It may be fun to play through songs or chords you are already familiar with, but what are you really learning? This habit is common because students get excited with the result of progress with the piano and continue to play what they just learned. This is often followed by boredom and discouragement. Make it your goal to try something new during each practice session to keep things interesting.

3. Learning parts of a piece well and not the rest. This mistake is common because as students try to play through a piece of music, they will stumble towards the middle and start over. Eventually you have the beginning of the piece down, but are continuing to make the same mistakes in the middle. Instead of always starting at the beginning of a piano piece, work on parts that you’re having trouble with.

4. Practice isn’t fun. When learning something new there is always a certain amount of effort required, this goes for musical instruments as well. Instead of trying to squeeze practice time in, set aside specific time for it. Create a comfortable practice space and use it as relaxation time. Keep in your mind that as the more you practice, the better you will get and the more fun practicing and playing will be.

For some tips and tricks on how to avoid these mistakes, contact Lesson Match to enroll in piano lessons!

Jan

Vocal Performance Tips

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Performing in front of an audience can be nerve-wracking, but the rush felt after a performance, during the applause is unbeatable. The key to a great performance is confidence.

If you’re nervous about a performance, here are a few tips to fake confidence.

1. Eye Contact. Maintaining eye contact with the audience helps the performer to appear more confident. In everyday life, when you’re nervous, it’s difficult to maintain eye contact with someone you’re nervous around. There’s also nothing worse for the audience than watching a nervous performer staring at the floor.

2. Enunciate. Do you ever listed to a song at a concert and realize you have no idea what they’re saying. It’s difficult to enunciate every word on stage, especially when you’re nervous, but the audience loves to hear lyrics. If the lyrics are audible, then by the end of the song, the audience might be singing along with you.

3. Convey Emotion. Performing in front of an audience is a lot like acting. Actors wouldn’t smile the whole time if they were acting in drama or tragedy. Similarly, if you’re performing a dark and somber song, try to convey the emotion to the audience. The best performances are the ones the audience can feel and relate to.

4. High Energy. Last summer, I went to two concerts; the first artist stood behind the microphone and sang beautifully, the second had back up dancers and was moving around as much as possible (without being distracting). While I prefer the first artist’s music on the radio, in person the second concert was much more fun. I loved the energy the artist was conveying. You could tell she was enjoying performing and fed off the audience.

Even if you are nervous during the performance, the audience can help you out. Try to appear confident and the audience will respond. Eventually you won’t be pretending to be confident, you actually will be.

All of our vocal instructors at Lesson Match have amazing stage presence and great performance tips.

Contact Lesson Match today to receive some great performance tips from one of our qualified voice instructors!

Nov

10 Drum Tips

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Interested in taking drum lessons? Or do you already play the drums but are looking for some drum tips?

Here are a few tips to refine your technique and keep your drum set sounding great.

1. Keep your drum clean. Use a can of compressed air to get the dust out of hard to reach places like in between lugs.

2. Listen to different kinds of music. This will boost your creativity and allow you to learn new techniques. The more styles and techniques you can master, the more interesting your sound is.

3. Warm up. This is important for all instruments including the drums. Always warm up before lessons, practicing new songs, gigs etc.

4. Air drums. You don’t always have to have a drum set to practice the drums. If you’re sitting around bored with nothing to do, play the air drums. This can help refine patterns and increase your muscle memory.

5. Check your form. Make sure you’re using correct form for optimum sound. Are you holding the sticks at best place? Are you hitting the drums straight up and down?

6. Stick twirling. All crowds love stick twirling and it’s a great form of showmanship. If you don’t know how to twirl your drumsticks, there are how-to videos all over the Internet.

7. Learn to read music. Even if you are able to play the drums perfectly without reading music, reading music is a great way to expand your ability. Reading music allows you to read a song out of a book and be able to play it without having to continually take drum lessons.

8. Write down what works for you. Keep a log of practice techniques that work for you. You can also write down ideas that you’ve heard about and want to try. Keeping all these ideas together will assure you don’t forget about them and they are readily accessible.

9. Record/Videotape yourself playing. This will help you understand your form and see things you cannot see when you’re playing. Do you have a snarl on your face when you play? Is your snare drum titled?

10. Take lessons. While it may seem like you can learn anything online these days, there are things that will be easier for you to learn from an instructor. Drum instructors have been where you are and may have some helpful practice tips and techniques.

For more information about drum lessons with Lesson Match, call us at 612-460-7653.

Oct

10 Tips for Your First Recital

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Playing your first recital can be nerve-wracking, but it’s a great way to show what you’ve learned and stay motivated with lessons.

Here are a few tips to prepare for your first recital.

Find out what music you’re playing. Some instructors allow you to choose what piece(s) you’d like to play during the recital; other instructors assign pieces. If allowed to choose your own music, choose a piece that interests you.

Practice! Try to set aside time every day to practice. Practicing for 15 minutes a day will be more effective than practicing one day for an hour.

Difficulty. Tackle the more difficult pieces you’ll be playing then move onto the easier ones. Beginning with the harder pieces will give you more time to learn and master them. After learning the difficult pieces you should master the easier ones in no time.

Warm up. Play through a few easy pieces and your recital piece before the recital. Don’t over practice right before a recital though or you’ll be tired and make more mistakes.

Play in front of an audience. Practice a few times in front of your family and friends. This will help you feel more confident playing in front of a larger audience.

Record a practice session. Record yourself, or have someone record you, playing through all your pieces. Some musicians have bad habits that they do on stage and aren’t aware of them. Watching yourself play will show you how you will look on stage and you can address any issues before playing in front of an audience.

Rest. Get a good night’s sleep the night before a recital. You may be too nervous to sleep, but if you’re tired during the recital you might forget a piece or miss a note.

Breath! Many people get nervous in front of an audience and forget to breath. Practice some breathing techniques before your recital that help calm you down.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone messes up during his or her first recital. Usually it’s just a small mistake that only you notice, but the temptation to stop will be there. If you make a mistake, keep playing like nothing happened. Remember, this is your first recital; it will go better next time.

Have fun! Playing music shouldn’t be a chore. Always remember to have fun when playing. Performers that are having fun have better stage presence than those who are not.

For more tips about the first recital or lessons with Lesson Match, contact us!

Oct

10 Tips for Beginning Acoustic Guitar Players

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Some people are able to just pick up an acoustic guitar and instinctively know what to do with it; others might need some tips.

Here are a few tips for beginning acoustic guitar players.

1. Learn how to fingerpick your guitar and play with a pick. Each technique has its place in the music world. Finger picking is used more for classical music, while a pick is used more for rock and metal. Learning both will make you a better acoustic guitar player.

2. Learn how to change your own strings. Dirt and oil from your fingers break down the strings so it’s very important to change them as they lose their sound. Washing your hands before you play and cleaning your strings after you play will lengthen the time between changing your strings.

3. Learn how to use a capo. A capo is a clamp you can apply to different frets of your guitar to change the pitch.

4. Learn how to tune your acoustic guitar. Playing an out of tune acoustic guitar will be a waste of practice time.

5. Build up calluses on your fingers. Playing the guitar, especially the acoustic guitar, will hurt your fingers at first, but after a while you’ll build up calluses and the pain will go away. The more you practice, the quicker you’ll build up calluses.

6. Stretch and warm up your fingers before you play. Warm ups are important for all instruments to make sure you don’t injure yourself during practice. Loose stretched fingers will also make for better guitar playing.

7. Learn the parts of your guitar. Being a good guitar player means knowing the ins and outs of your acoustic guitar.

8. Don’t over do it. Practicing and playing too much can cause extreme discomfort in your hands and might take some time to recover.

9. Go to live performances. You can learn a lot by watching professionals play the guitar. Live performances can teach you new techniques to better your skills.

10. Find a good guitar instructor. While it is possible to learn using books and online tutorials, guitar instructors will be able to give you guided practice and recognize your strengths and weaknesses. A guitar instructor is a must for beginners.

For more tips or to sign up with acoustic guitar lessons, call Lesson Match at 612-460-7653!

Oct

Why Take Private Music Lessons with Band Instruments

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If your child is enrolled in band class at school, then you might think there is no reason to enroll them in private music lessons.

Students that take private music lessons on an instrument will improve faster than if they are only learning in the classroom. It is difficult to get individualized attention and guidance in a classroom setting because there are many students.

If your child has a genuine interest in an instrument, or maybe their band teacher thinks they have special musical talent, then you should consider enrolling your child in private music lessons.

Better Ensembles
Typically, the more students enrolled in private music lessons, the better the ensemble sounds. If a few students are taking private music lessons and excelling at their instrument, other parents might see that and enroll their children as well. Band ensembles often compete in competitions and if the majority of the students are also taking private lessons the ensemble should do well.

Individualized Attention
If your child has an interest in learning an instrument, then school band classes may not be cutting it. Students interested in learning an instrument will typically practice more outside of class and be genuinely interested in learning the instrument. Some students in band classes may only be taking the class to socialize and therefore slow the progress of the entire group down. Private music lessons will give your child the training they need.

Musical Talent
All children learn at different speeds, and it can be discouraging if children see their peers excelling at something that is taking them more time to learn. Private music lessons can speed up a slower learner because a private instructor can address issues the student may be having with learning, or teach him/her better ways to practice.

Innate Ability
If your child has a serious interest in music and would like to pursue music as a career, then private lessons are a must. Music schools and ensembles (even youth ensembles) are extremely competitive and children will have to take private music lessons to ensure they are getting the proper training.

Enroll in private music lessons today with Lesson Match!

Sep

10 Tips to Overcome Stage Fright

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What do Adele, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart and Carly Simon have in common? They all suffer from stage fright. That’s right. Even celebrities get nervous before performing on stage. Performing on stage can be a terrifying experience, but there are a few tips and tricks to make the performance go by a little smoother.

1. Practice. The more you practice, the better you’ll feel about your talent.

2. Be prepared. Make sure that you have everything in order for your performance long before the performance is supposed to begin.

3. Analyze. Check out your performance space before the actual performance. This will ensure there are no surprises and you’ll feel more in control.

4. Relax. Find some relaxation techniques that work for you. If you have a few techniques you know will relax you before anything, this will help calm your nerves.

5. Take deep breaths. Use deep breathing to calm your body and your nerves.

6. Rid yourself of distractions. Avoid all distractions the day of your performance. Try not to have a million things on your plate that day so the only thing you have to worry about is the performance and practicing.

7. Visualize. Before the performance, take an imaginary journey of it. Close your eyes and imagine the entire performance from beginning to end. Then once the performance is actually happening, it will feel like you’ve already given the performance.

8. Nobody’s perfect. Try to accept the fact that every performance is not going to be perfect. Realize you might make a mistake every once and a while but you have to pick up and move on. That’s what helps Donny Osmond control his stage fright.

9. Encouragement. Make sure some friends and family are in the audience. Friends and family can offer silent encouragement and reinforcement.

10. Have fun! Make your performance a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished rather than punishment for being so talented.

Sep

Will Dental Braces Interfere With Music Lessons?

COMMENTS: 0

These days the majority of kids are going to need braces at some point in their life, and depending on how old they are, this could be right in the middle of learning an instrument. A common fear among children about getting braces is that they will not be able to continue with their instrument of choice. Here are some common questions parents have about braces and musical instruments.

Will braces interfere with my child’s music lessons?
If students have braces put on once they’ve already started music lessons, this can make playing the instrument a little uncomfortable. However, with patience and practice, they’ll be able to adapt and continue with lessons like nothing’s changed. During the first week or so, there will be some discomfort in their mouths (this could lead to cuts or canker sores). If your child already has braces on and would like to begin music lessons, they should be able to learn just fine as they have had no practice without the braces.

How does putting dental wax on the brackets help?
Dental braces can be tough on the mouth when they’re first put on. The sharp ends of the wires and pointed parts can cause cuts and sores in the mouth, which can make playing an instrument especially difficult. Most orthodontists will recommend putting dental wax on the sharp parts of the braces; this helps to reduce irritation when playing an instrument.

Should I switch my child to an instrument that they don’t have to put in their mouth?
There is absolutely no need to force your child to switch instruments if they already love their brass or woodwind instrument. If they didn’t like their instrument to begin with, this might be a good opportunity to have them try out the guitar or piano. Braces don’t have to completely disrupt your children’s lives’; with enough practice they’ll be able to play any instrument they would like.

At one point in most people’s lives, they’ll be forced to get up at an event and sing karaoke.

Here are some ways to be sure karaoke does not damage your singing voice.

For more karaoke or singing tips, call Lesson Match to speak with a vocal instructor.

That means you can “practice your instrument” wherever you are.

These simple tips get rid of any excuses you might have about how you’re too busy to practice.

There’s a reason many piano students quit before learning the basics of piano; they become bored and uninterested.

Here are a few common mistakes piano students make when practicing.

For some tips and tricks on how to avoid these mistakes, contact Lesson Match to enroll in piano lessons!

If you’re nervous about a performance, here are a few tips to fake confidence.

All of our vocal instructors at Lesson Match have amazing stage presence and great performance tips.

Contact Lesson Match today to receive some great performance tips from one of our qualified voice instructors!

Interested in taking drum lessons? Or do you already play the drums but are looking for some drum tips?

Here are a few tips to refine your technique and keep your drum set sounding great.

For more information about drum lessons with Lesson Match, call us at 612-460-7653.

Playing your first recital can be nerve-wracking, but it’s a great way to show what you’ve learned and stay motivated with lessons.

Here are a few tips to prepare for your first recital.

For more tips about the first recital or lessons with Lesson Match, contact us!

Some people are able to just pick up an acoustic guitar and instinctively know what to do with it; others might need some tips.

Here are a few tips for beginning acoustic guitar players.

For more tips or to sign up with acoustic guitar lessons, call Lesson Match at 612-460-7653!

If your child is enrolled in band class at school, then you might think there is no reason to enroll them in private music lessons.

If your child has a genuine interest in an instrument, or maybe their band teacher thinks they have special musical talent, then you should consider enrolling your child in private music lessons.

Enroll in private music lessons today with Lesson Match!

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